Trolley-pole controller.



TROLLEY POLE CONTROLLER. APPLICATION rIrnn'sBPT.24.1eoe.

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PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

A L. PRENTISS. TROLLEY POLE CONTROLLER.

APPLIOATIOK FILED 8BPT.24.1906.

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UNITE STATES PATENT TROLLEY-POLE CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed September 24, 1906- Serial No. 335,862.

ally lower the pole or permit it to drop to an inoperative position in the event of the trolley wheel jumping the wire. A pole of this kind is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 800,762 granted to me October 3, 1905.

It is the object of my invention to so construct the controlling means that the pole is cushioned in its descent by the air exhausted from the pressure cylinder of the apparatus, thus preventing the pole from violently striking the car-roof and damaging the same.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trolley pole and base, a portion of the pole being broken away. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the pole in its lowered position, on an enlarged scale, the plane of the section being in line 22, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the lower portion of the pole, in its normal position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A is a stationary base plate adapted to be secured to the car-roof and having a fixed post or stud a. horizontally swinging pressure cylinder B, having an upright hub b which surrounds the post. The reduced upper end of the post passes centrally through a diaphragm 7) arranged in the upper portion of the hub, the portion of this hub above this diaphragm forming an air chamber 5 which is closed by a screw plug b An air tight joint is formed between the hub and the post by suitable packing c interposed between the upper side of the diaphragm and a clamping nut c which engages with an internal screw thread of the air chamber. The upper end of the post a passes loosely through this clamping nut and carries a lock nut 0 D is the trolley pole preferably consisting Upon this post is swiveled a the valve chamber, as shown.

of a tubular main or body section provided at its lower end with a yoke or bifurcated portion (2 rigidly connected therewith, and at its upper end with a hinged section al carrying the trolley wheel D and pivoted to the body section by a transverse pivot (1 so as topermit the upper section to swing vertically on the lower or body section.

E is the customary depressing cord which is connected to the upper, section (1 The branches of the yoke d straddle the cylinder B and are pivoted at their lower ends to opposite sides thereof by horizontal pins f, thus permitting the pole to swing vertically on the swiveling cylinder. In thiscylinder is arrangeda reciprocating piston G, the rod 9 of which passes through the rear head of the cylinder and carries a cross head G The branches of the yoke d are provided with depending arms h which are connected with opposite ends of this cross head by links h by which connection the pole is caused to swing upward and the trolley wheel pressed against the wire or conductor when the piston is moved rearwardly in the cylinder by the compressed air supplied to the latter.

The post a is provided with 'a longitudinal air inlet passage "L leading to the air chamber 5 and connected with a passage i in the base which in turn-is connected with a source of fluid pressure, not shown, such as a compressed air tank. The air chamber is connected by a flexible tube or conduit with a valve chamber K preferably arranged in the head of the yoke d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This valve chamber has an inlet Z leading to one end thereof and connected with the adjacent end of the tube 7', and a lateral discharge port Z with which a flexible return tube or conduit m is connected. As shown in Fig. 2, the lower or front end of the return tube is connected with a port a arranged in the rear wall of the pressure cylinder and communicating with the latter, while the other flexible tube 7' is connected at its lower end with a port a communicating with the air chamber 5 The valve chamber K is also provided with an exhaust port or passage n 'which leads into a pneumatic or cushioning chamber 0 mounted on the trolley pole, preferably immediately in front of This cush- TOO ioning chamber has a relief opening or passage 0 controlled by a suitable regulating I valve 0 as shown in Fig. 3.

The valve chamber K contains a suitable valve mechanism which, in one position, cuts ofi communication between the exhaust port a and the pressure cylinder B and connects the cylinder with the air chamber b and in its other position permits communication between the cylinder and said preferably bear loosely against each other,

but if desired both valves may be mounted on the same stem. The valves-are actuated by the pivoted upper section al of the trolley pole through the medium of a sliding rod P pivoted to said section and preferably passing through the hollow body-section D of the pole, the rod being provided at its lower end with a toe g which. bears against the projecting end of the stem of the exhaust valve p. This toe is formed on a sleeve suitably secured to the lower end of the sliding rod and passing through an opening formed in the yoke-head (Z in line with the tube D of the pole, said opening being provided in itsupper end with a screw-plug or bushing r. S is a spring surrounding the sleeve 9 between a shoulder thereof and said screw-plug and tending to move the sleeve and the sliding rod downwardly in the pole, so as to withdraw the, toe g from the exhaust valve p and permit the latter to open and the inlet valve p to close. The downward movement of the sleeve is limited by a stop or nut t secured to its upper end and adapted to strike the screw-plug 1".

In the ordinary operation of the pole, the pressure of the trolley wheel against the wire tends to straighten or swing the upper section (1 of the pole downwardly on the lower section, drawing the rod P upward and compressing the spring S. This movement causes the toe q to close the exhaust valve 1) and open the inlet valve 1), (see Fig. 3) and to hold the same in that position so long as the trolley wheel remains against the wire. Under these conditions, compressed air is allowed to pass from the air chamber 72 into the cylinder B, through the tube 9' inlet Z, valve case K, discharge port Z tube m and the port n, and the escape of the air through the exhaust port n is cut off, forcing the piston G toward the rear end of the cylinder and pressing the trolley wheel against the wire. When the wheel accidentally leaves the wire, the upper pole section al swings upward on the lower section under the reaction of the spring S and causes the toe q to recede from the'stem of the exhaust valve 1), allowing the latter to open and the inlet valve p to close under the air pressure against these valves. When the valves are thus reversed, as shown in Fig. 2, the further supply of compressed air to the cylinder is cut off and the air behind the piston is allowed to escape through the port n, return tube m, discharge port I, valve case K and exhaust port a into the cushioning chamber 0, in which it is allowed to expand and from which it escapes slowly through the relief passage 0 The piston is therefore allowed to recede under the weight of the pole the moment the trolley wheel jumps the wire, allowing the pole to drop below the plane of the usual cross wires or supports and preventing damage to the same and the pole. The cushioning chamber 0 is of theproper size to permit a quick escape of the air from the cylinder and a prompt initial drop of the pole, and yet checkits descent before it strikes the top of the car, the relief valve 0 being adjusted topermit the slow escape of the air remaining in the cushioning chamber and the further lowering of the pole.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a trolley pole, a pressure cylinder containing a piston, means for connecting the pole with the piston, valve mechanism controlling the passage of the pressure fluid to and from the cylinder, and a pneumatic cushioning chamber arranged to receive the air exhausted from the cylinder, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination of a trolley pole, a pressure cylinder containing a piston, means for connecting the pole with the piston, valve mechanism controlling the passage of the pressure fluid to and from the cylinder, and a pneumatic cushioning chamber arranged to receive the air exhaust from the cylinder and having a valved relief opening, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a trolley pole, a pressure cylinder containing a piston, means for connecting the polewith the piston, valve mechanism mounted on the pole and controlling the passage of the pressure fluid to and from the cylinder, and a cushioning chamber also mounted on the pole and arranged to receive the air exhausted from the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a trolley pole, a pressure cylinder containing a piston, means for connecting the pole with the piston, a cushioning chamber mounted on the pole, a valve case also mounted on the pole and having an inlet, a discharge port connected with the cylinder and an exhaust port leading to said cushioning chamber, and valve mechanism arranged in said case and controlled IIO by the movements of the pole and operating to cut off communication between the cylintember, 1906. der and the cushioning chamber in the operative position of the pole and to establish communication between the cylinder and l/Vitnesses: said chamber when the trolley Wheel leaves 1 CARL F. GEYER,

the Wire, substantially as set forth. E. M. GRAHAM.

ANDREW L. PRENTISS.

Witness my hand this 22nd day of Sep 

